In 2026, there will be a 2.8 percent increase in social security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments that will be received by 75 million Americans. Retirement benefits under Social Security will go up on average by about $56 per month in January.
The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) has been, on average, a 3.1 percent increase over the last ten years. The COLA was 2.5 percent in 2025.
The increase in the COLA, which will be in effect in January 2026, is almost 2.8 percent and will affect nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries. The payments to almost 7.5 million individuals receiving SSI will start increasing on December 31, 2025. (Note: There are recipients who get both Social Security and SSI).
Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Frank J. Bisignano, stated that the “promise is a promise and one of the means that we are using to ensure that benefits are adjusted to the current economic realities and that it offers a security base. The cost-of-living adjustment is the crucial component of the mission implementation by Social Security.”
Other adjustments that are realized in January of every year are pegged to the rise of the average wage. As an illustration, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will rise to $184,500 compared to $176,100.
In early December, Social Security starts warning recipients about their new benefit amount by mail. The individuals with a personal My Social Security account can access their COLA notice online, which is secure, easy, and faster compared to the written notice that is sent by mail. You can have text or email notifications about when a new message is ready in your My Social Security account, like your COLA notice.
Healthy Retirement. You will also require a personal My Social Security account, which you can open by November 19 to view your COLA notice online. To have an account, go to www.ssa.gov/myaccount.
The changes to Medicare in 2026 will be accessible on Medicare, i.e., at medicare.gov. The amount of the benefit will be ready to retrieve on my Social Security Message center beginning late in November for beneficiaries of Social Security who are also enrolled in Medicare. Individuals with no online My Social Security account will get their COLA notice in writing in the winter.
